Kalos Story
by Yogurt-Time
Summary: To promote the PWT, Nate goes in search of new regions, and ends up encountering a most unusual Sylveon. Does this Pokémon have a connection to some conspiracy taking place in the Kalos region?
1. Here We Go!

**Finally, a new story idea. I want to try making the plot of this story somewhat more ambitious than my previous ones… we'll have to see how it goes.**

* * *

"Well, I'm here… Where is he though?"

On one peaceful day in the Unova region, Nate waited outside the Pokémon World Tournament stadium, a huge and rather extravagant piece of architecture, as was requested of him earlier that day. Without any tournaments currently taking place, the area was filled with a calm silence, helping the brown-haired boy relax as the time slowly passed.

"Well, howdy there, Nate!" The young trainer turned to notice the speaker that had just come out of the building; Clay, Gym Leader of Driftveil City and founder of the PWT. "I do hope I'm not interruptin' nothin' important with y'all, am I?"

Nate shook his head and replied, "It's okay. What did you need from me?"

Clay turned, observing the stadium in its entirety, in a contemplative manner. "I done built this place to gather all sortsa Pokémon-trainin' folk from all over the globe. But it done seems like some regions just aren't interested none in that business."

The rich Gym Leader pointed his finger to Nate. "But if'n I could get y'all to promote my business in those there far-off regions, that may just persuade 'em to come around!"

Nate flinched a little in surprise. He had not been told that he was to be sent off to another region, perhaps one he had not even heard of at all. "Well, that sounds okay, but…" he began.

"Now don't y'all go frettin' none, boy. It'll be easier than wranglin' up a bunch of no-good Team Plasmy goons! And if it's supplies yer after, I've got everythin' y'all would be needin', so don't go botherin' yer palm-tree head 'bout that." Clay reassured.

"But are we leaving now?" asked Nate, to which the Gym Leader slapped himself upon the knee and laughed heartily.

"Durn tootin'. A boat ride to yer destination could well take until doomsy-day! Can't go on wastin' time now!" Clay paused to adjust his cowboy hat. "If'n I could get that Skyla broad to fly ya there on one of her fancy planes, I'd have done it by now… but she just up and left one day to have herself a good ol' fashioned hoedown that there Cynthia from Sinnoh!"

With that said, Clay led Nate due south to the nearby harbor, where a small, vaguely familiar-looking ferry boat was docked, with a middle-aged man in a sailor's hat waiting at the stern.

"So we all ready to set sail or what?" he asked with some impatience.

"Readier'n a red-hot brand at a Miltank farm!" With a strong hand, Clay thumped Nate on the back to push him towards the boat; he didn't mean to be forceful about it, but the sudden shove did elicit a yelp of surprise from the young boy. "Now git along, cowpoke. I'll be lettin' Pop Roxie take it from here."

"Don't call me that," the sailor grumbled, but his complaint went un-noticed as Clay began to leave, after Nate had boarded the boat. Ever since he had made his debut on the big screen at Pokéstar Studios, he had been called "Pop Roxie" by most everyone he met – due to being referred to by that name in the movie's ending credits. Dismissing his woes with a sigh, the captain turned to Nate. "Alright, time to set sail, son. Grab a seat and get comfortable… this may be a long ride."

Eventually the PWT grew further away, sinking into the horizon as the boat sailed on.

"Y'know, son, I got a daughter who's about your age, I think." The man suddenly told Nate, as the boy was leaning out at the deck's edge to get a good look at the vast ocean surrounding them.

"I know. I battled her, remember?" Nate assumed, correctly though, that the sea captain was referring to Roxie, Virbank City's Gym Leader, and Poison-type-loving rock bassist. It was quite a time ago that Nate had first battled Roxie in her Gym; as a rookie trainer at the time, he had barely managed to overcome the poisonous girl's tactics, earning himself the Toxic Badge.

"Well, that's just swell." The voice of Roxie's father started to quiver with emotion as he continued. "I don't tell her often enough… but I'm awful proud of my daughter. Now I don't know too much about punk rock or anything, but what I do know for a fact is that she's got her old man's musical talent in her."

Intrigued, Nate turned to ask the captain, "You play?"

"No, no, I don't need any instruments," he replied. "But let me tell you, I can sing one heck of a rousing sea shanty! Ahem…" After clearing his throat, Roxie's father began his tuneful chant.

_"Ooohhhh, since I was a boy, I dreamed of the sea-"_

"Okay." Nate had heard enough, but the sailor had already begun his song.

_"Aaaaand, like a fair maiden, she called out to me-"_

"Please-" Nate tried in vain to make him stop singing again.

_"A sailor's life suits me just fine and well-"_

"Stop-"

_"And if you disagree, you can go to… bed."_

"…" Nate gave up on trying to silence the man, and simply sat, doing his best to ignore the continued singing as they drifted further and further from Unova's waters. Enduring the raucous noise distracted the boy from any excitement he could feel from the idea of visiting a region he had never heard of before.

%%%

At some point during the trip, Nate had fallen asleep. He couldn't recall exactly how long he had been napping for, but when he woke up with a lazy yawn, he was startlingly surprised by how drab and dull the scenery; there had been not so much as a single cloud to interrupt the sun's glow when he had first boarded. He saw that the sun had given way to a fierce rainstorm, with the occasional bright flash and roar of lightning heard over the heavy rainfall. From beneath the boat, the sea waves began to roil rather fiercely, enough to make Nate stumble a little as he stood to his feet.

"Zzzz…" Among the storm, the boy could just barely hear snoring; the captain had apparently fallen asleep at the wheel. In an attempt to wake him up, Nate tried to jostle the man about, but his efforts proved futile, the grating sound of his snores unceasing. The visor-wearing boy began to panic; if the boat's controls were not properly managed, they would both soon be in much bigger trouble. But even if Nate could take the helm, he had not even the vaguest clue of which way to go from there, as he could only see nothing but dark waters in all directions.

"Sup."

A dreadful sensation needled at the boy's spine. He hadn't seen or heard anyone else on the boat at all until now, and Nate turned, wondering if his own mind was just betraying him.

It was not, and that voice was confirmed to be real when he looked upon the Shadow Triad, the three masked men who had given him so much trouble in the past. Even in the dark of the storm, he could make out the forms of the trio and their Pokémon. Of all people to make an unexplained appearance, it just had to be them… Nate frowned. Had they come here just to watch him go down with the ship?!

"Sweet dreams, bro."

Before Nate could reach into his pockets and summon his own Pokémon, a Yawn attack had been unleashed by one of the Triad's own. A wafting gas had been blown into Nate's face, and the boy inhaled, causing him to yawn in return.

"H… hey! What was that… for…" As angry as Nate was, he was losing the will to fight back as drowsiness set in, making his eyelids droop. In seconds, he fell to his knees and slumped down, trapped in a deep sleep.

"Aww, snap!" said one of the three men, as their plan had been fulfilled flawlessly. Without another word, the Shadow Triad and their Pokémon warped out of the boat, vanishing into thin air.

%%%

"Mmh…" Completely soaked, Nate was woken up again by the radiant warmth of sunlight on his cold body. Feeling the grittiness of damp sand and the foam of waves lapping at his feet, he opened his eyes to see that he had washed up on a distant beach. This area looked completely unfamiliar to him, but at least he was alive and uninjured. In fact, the boat hadn't even capsized, though it was stationed at the shoreline in a rather odd way, as though someone had tried to split the beach in half with it.

"What a strange dream," he thought to himself, as he laid his jacket and shorts on the boat's surface to dry, leaving him in just his wetsuit, visor and shoes. Of course, he wasn't exactly sure if his encounter with the Shadow Triad had been a dream at all. There was no sign of the three anywhere in the area, and as they had completely disappeared, so too had the raging storm. Nate couldn't make any sense of it, and in trying to, he failed to notice something large swiftly flying overhead, casting a shadow upon the boy.

A loud screech suddenly reverberated from the flying object, and Nate looked up. The sunlight in his eyes obscured his vision, but he could see something in the sky, and it appeared to be getting closer, diving down to crash land into him. Before it was too late, Nate ran back, avoiding the pounce from above. Nate noticed that the attacker appeared to be some Pokémon, but it was not one that he had ever seen before; quickly, he observed its black and purple coloration, its deep-red claws, and the huge wings that allowed it to soar so powerfully. Most striking about its appearance were the two huge, speaker-shaped ears that sat above the Pokémon's head.

**"SCREEEE!" **Nate had to cover his ears from the loudness of the predator's enraged roar. He hadn't intended to disturb what he assumed was this Pokémon's territory, but given the circumstances, survival was of key importance, and he brought out his own Poké Balls to combat his new foe.

"Help me out… guys?"

The three Pokémon Nate had summoned were all he had on hand, but his current team appeared… somewhat lacking.

There was Vanillite, a small Ice-type that seemed to resemble a cone of ice cream.

And then there was Litwick, who was as cute as Ghost and Fire Pokémon could possibly be.

Last of all, there was Dunsparce, a lazy-looking Normal-type that began to flap its tiny wings and nudge Nate's face.

As endearing and mascot-like as Nate's current team was, they didn't exactly seem fit to take on an aggressive newcomer. The boy had faith in his Pokémon though, and pointed out their opponent for them.

"Attack!" he called out, Litwick took the lead, advancing towards the large Pokémon with fervor. The Candle Pokémon was quick to prove that enthusiasm alone could not win the battle; it was effortlessly tossed aside with a beat of the opponent's black wing. After seeing their team-mate defeated so easily, Vanillite and Dunsparce fled the scene; the yellow snake Pokémon digging a tunnel in the sand to escape, with the snowy Pokémon following inside.

Completely defenseless, Nate let out a frightened "Oh no…" as the predator took flight, preparing to lunge towards him. Just when things seemed to look grim for the boy, an unfamiliar voice seemed to speak into his very mind.

_"I have the power to save you! All you have to do is make a pact with me!"_


	2. New Pokemon!

**Sorry I hadn't updated in a while. Of course, I was busy with Pokémon X. Playing it did give me an idea of what to do with the plot I had laid out.**

**The way I see it, this story should take place after BW2's story, but before XY's, so the Gen 6 protagonist hasn't gone on their adventure yet.**

* * *

"A pact?" Nate wondered, half-expecting an answer. He had never imagined that he would start hearing benevolent voices in his head, but then again he had never been on the verge of getting massacred by an enraged dragon Pokémon… that is, if almost being frozen alive by a Kyurem's Glaciate attack did not count.

That day in the Giant Chasm, when Ghetsis of Team Plasma had taken control of the icy dragon Pokémon… There was no way that Nate would ever forget that incident, as long as he lived.

And he feared that it would not be for much longer.

"_A pact! If you want to make a pact with me, just say 'Yes'!" _the intangible speaker answered with its voice remaining calm and deliberate, despite the imminent danger, in its manner of speech. With the large attacking Pokémon beginning to close in, Nate could see that he had nothing to lose now, and took a deep breath.

"**Yes!"**

In response to the boy's affirmation… nothing seemed to happen, unsurprisingly. Nate clenched his eyes shut. He didn't want to see what would come next. He didn't want to even be here at all… He wished as much as he could that he was back home, safe in Aspertia City, with all his friends, and especially Hugh…

Suddenly a dazzling brightness penetrated the dark from behind his closed eyes, accompanied by a pained shriek, and when he dared to open them, he saw that the large-winged Pokémon had been rendered completely unconscious, driven into the beach sand like it had been slammed fiercely into the ground. As relieved as Nate was to remain standing and unharmed, he was greatly confused by what had just happened.

"_Wow, I didn't think my Moonblast would hurt it that much… Either I've been getting stronger, or that was just a really weak Noivern."_

"Moonblast? Noivern?" Nate didn't lower his guard as he looked around. Whatever this voice was, it certainly seemed to know a few things that Nate didn't.

From behind the boy, a smaller Pokémon scampered about in the sand, and eventually stopped romping about and sat down before him, a cute smile upon its face as it observed Nate with large, pale-blue eyes.

"_I take it you're not a Kalos-native." _The Pokémon tilted its long-eared head. Even as its mouth remained still, Nate figured that this was the source of that voice. A creature that looked so ethereally surreal, complete with bows and floating white ribbons, would certainly be versed in the ways of pacts and moons and Kalos… whatever those were.

"Probably not," Nate answered with a resigned shrug. He pointed a finger to the Pokémon sitting in front of him, asking, "Are you… the one talking to me?"

The ribbon-wearing Pokémon nodded. _"I'm a Sylveon. My name is Pollux."_

Nate could have asked even more questions about all these unusual names, but he chose not to. Instead, he reached into his white bag, bringing out his trusty Pokédex in hopes of obtaining any information about this "Sylveon."

However, the device had failed to provide any insight, detecting the newcomer as an "unidentifiable". Nate grumbled with frustration as he put the Pokédex away.

"You're not really a Pokémon, are you?" the boy accused.

Pollux pulled a sad face, acting hurt by Nate's harsh words. _"I don't know how I can prove I am a Pokémon or not… but you have already made a pact with me, and I saved your life. Are you not at all grateful for that?"_

"Well… thanks for that. Enjoy your pact, I guess." Nate then walked off to the stationed boat, collecting the clothes that had been laid out to dry, putting them back on. He was already feeling ridiculous arguing with Pollux; on the bright side, there was nobody else around to point out how absurd it all was.

…Nobody else?

Nate suddenly remembered that he hadn't set sail on his own, so why was he alone now? He began to climb to the boat's deck, looking all over the sea vehicle. His frantic searching soon attracted Pollux's attention, and Nate found himself yet again face to face with the Sylveon.

"_Are you searching for something… or perhaps someone?" _The Pokémon's telepathic voice always spoke in the same unvaried tone, which made it impossible for Nate to judge whether Pollux was asking out of genuine curiosity, or if it was doing so in a mocking or even sarcastic way.

Could it be that the Sylveon actually knew more than it was letting on? Nate felt somewhat justified in thinking that.

"Actually… yes," Nate admitted. "There was a captain on this ship with me before it crashed here… You wouldn't happen to know anything about that, would you?"

Pollux jumped in surprise. _"A ship captain? Did he have a sailor's hat, and brown hair tied in a ponytail? Kind of on the chubby side? Liked to sing badly?"_

With that dead-on accurate description of the captain, it was Nate's turn to jump in surprise; the so-called Pokémon did know something after all. "You… you saw him? Where is he?!"

The Sylveon noted Nate's sudden curiosity, and gave the boy a dull, unamused expression. _"Wouldn't you like to know…"_

When Nate saw Pollux's face, he realized that he had not exactly made the best initial impression with the one who had defended him from that rogue Pokémon. "Okay, okay," he said with a sigh. "I'm sorry for what I said, and I guess… you really are a Pokémon. You couldn't have saved me from that other one if you weren't, right?"

Nate still wasn't completely certain about what he had said, but finding the captain was certainly more important than petty semantics.

The ribbon-wearing Pokémon then grinned widely, displaying tiny sharp fangs. _"Now you're getting it!"_ Pollux then looked over to the knocked-out Noivern. _"But speaking of which… you must be a Pokémon Trainer, right?"_

Nate nodded, and Pollux continued, manipulating its long ribbons to point towards the fainted Pokémon. _"Well, why don't you catch that one? I'm sure it won't try to hurt you again… probably."_

Nate hadn't considered that idea at all, but he was willing to listen to the Sylveon's suggestion. Fortunately for the boy, there were plenty of spare Poké Balls stored as part of the ship's cargo; he figured that a single one out of several dozen would not be missed too greatly, and threw a ball towards the unmoving Noivern, which began to collapse into a formless light that was easily ensnared within the capsule's confines. Once completely inside, the Poké Ball wobbled for several moments before Nate's capture was confirmed successful.

"Whew…" The visor-wearing boy proceeded to pick up the Poké Ball, and a sense of caution began to take root within him; he remembered well enough that the Pokémon had tried to slaughter him without prejudice before Pollux had intervened, and there was no telling whether being its new trainer would help it warm up to him.

On the other hand, a powerful new Pokémon could certainly serve him well on his future journeys.

With that distraction cleared, Nate pocketed the Poké Ball and asked once more, "Okay, now can you tell me where he is?"

Using a ribbon in place of a hand, Pollux scratched at its soft-furred head, indicating that the Sylveon was trying to think. _"If I remember correctly, he was headed towards a nearby town with a huge tower."_

"Thanks." Adjusting his visor, Nate left the beach as he located and headed in the direction of the tower. He was already making his way across some grassy plains by the time his ears picked up on the sound of light, airy footsteps trailing behind him. He turned around, but saw nothing.

But once he looked down, the culprit was obvious.

"_Were you trying to leave me behind?"_ Pollux's mouth was bent into a saddened frown.

"Are you trying to get yourself caught?" Nate responded.

With a solemn, serious face, the Sylveon nodded. _"Don't forget, we made a pact. And according to magical talking Sylveon protocol, that essentially makes you my trainer! Isn't that great?"_

Nate's mood was wearing thin from all the nonsense the new Pokémon was spouting. "Terrific."

Pollux squealed in delight; either unaware of or willfully ignoring the boy's sarcasm. _"Excellent, let's stick together. You and me! Pollux and…"_

"Nate."

"_Pollux and Nate. I like it!"_

Without another word, the boy and Pokémon pressed onwards. Nate in particular was regretful that he forgot to take more Poké Balls from the ship; it was much too far away for him to bother with now – or rather, he was just too lazy for it, and he would have to find a place to buy some more. If that Sylveon insisted on traveling with him, keeping it contained within a capsule would at least make it more manageable.

Passing through the route's gate, Nate and Pollux found themselves in a mountainous city. The tower they had spotted was but a short distance away, at the end of a tiny peninsula of sand and surrounded by brick gates. The Unova boy could not help but stare at the building in awe; it could have been almost as large as the Celestial Tower of his home region, but for some reason, the tower possessed a kind of moving beauty that Nate could not express in words.

"Whoaah," he remarked.

Nate wanted to get a closer look, but searching for the captain had to come first… unless of course, that was where the captain could be found. It made some sense after all; the building's highest point would certainly afford a greater view of the ocean, and help the man get his bearings. However, he was immediately stopped at the gates by what appeared to be a tall, surly guard.

"Sorry, bub. The Tower's not open to rookie trainers right now." His gruff voice made it clear that he was not kidding around.

"I-I'm not a rookie trainer!" Nate tried to assert, even as he was intimidated by the guard's stature. It was no good though, as he simply glared back, unconvinced. Hastily, Nate changed the subject.

"Is there a man in a sailor hat here?"

The guard chose to answer with a loud crack of the knuckles. "Wise guy, huh? I know how to deal with punks like you," he growled

Nervously, Nate backed away slowly, (as Pollux looked on with seemingly morbid interest) unprepared for non-Pokémon related conflict. He was too slow though, as his arm was grabbed tightly by a large hand.

The guard gave a coarse chuckle as Nate was in his grasp. Shifting his gaze to the Sylveon, he urged, "Pollux… do something!"

Indeed, Pollux did something. However, taking a nap was not the first course of action that Nate was hoping for

"You're lucky it's just me dealing with you, kid," said the guard. "If I wanted you beat up real good, I'd hand you over to Korrina…"

"K-Korrina?" Nate asked, his breathing jagged.

"Like, that's my name, don't wear it out." Nate and the guard turned their heads to see a girl in rollerblades, whose huge blond ponytail poked through the helmet on her head.

"Lady Korrina!" The guard immediately let go of Nate, leaving the boy to rub gingerly at his arm where he had been grabbed. "I caught this brat trying to break into the Tower of Mastery!"

"Um, hello?" Korrina answered quickly. "Do you even, like, know who this boy is?"

The gruff man meekly shook his head.

The girl rolled her eyes in apparent disbelief. "Well, duh, only everyone can see that he's…" Upon closer inspection, Korrina found herself quite surprised at who she was looking at. "O-M-G! Aren't you that Nate kid?! You totally are, aren't you?"

Nate nodded; he didn't expect such a warm welcome immediately after all the hostile encounters so far.

"No way! This is, like, your first time in the Kalos region, right?"

The Unova boy replied, "I guess… I've never heard of Kalos."

Korrina slapped a hand on the helmet she was wearing. "You've so gotta be kidding me! I've seen, like, all the Pokéstar movies with you in them! You would totally not believe how many times I watched Brycen-Man Returns… only, like 38!"

"Eheheh… thanks, I guess," Nate chuckled sheepishly. Were Unova movies really that popular out of their home region? He couldn't imagine it.

And then, the girl in rollerskates realized. "Ooooohh, now I get it! You want to unlock the totally awesome power of Mega Evolution for your next movie, right? That'd be mega-awesome!"

"Mega-what?" Nate asked.

"_What-evolution?"_ Pollux woke up.

"Okay, like, um, how do I explain this…" Korrina thought carefully. "It's this, like, kind of evolution, only it's way cooler than normal evolution, for serious."

Nate understood completely. "Why haven't I heard of it?"

The girl wagged her finger. "It's, like, super secret. Mega Evolution makes Pokémon powerful like you would not believe. If some jerk or someone goes using it for bad things, that'd be… like, bad!"

Nate and Pollux exchanged a curious glance.

"So yeah," Korrina continued. "I know you're amazing and all, but I still gotta give you the test. Like, I gotta know if you got what it takes."

"A test?" Nate quizzically tilted his head.

"Yeah. Think fast!" Korrina grabbed a Poké Ball and threw down, summoning her Pokémon.

Nate recognized the girl's Pokémon right away, but given his current team, he was at a bit of a loss on how to go about battling it.

"_Leave it to me,"_ Pollux insisted, stepping forward.


	3. No Free Meals!

**Whoops, I was late to post the next chapter again. And oh boy, oh boy, more crazy stuff happens.**

* * *

"A Sylveon?" Korrina questioned, observing Pollux's battle-ready stance. "Like, that's not a bad choice and stuff, right?"

Nate was pleased to hear that, but he still knew very little about the new Pokémon.

"Pollux, what type are you anyway? Flying? …Bug?"

A playful laugh came from the Sylveon. _"Not even close. Try Fairy-type."_

Nate scoffed. "But there's no such thing as Fairy-type… Well, that's what Cheren told me."

"_Who's Cheren?" _Before Nate could answer, he was caught a little off-guard by how Korrina and her Pokémon were watching them in the middle of their conversation.

"Um, hello, earth to Nate? Are you, like, talking to your Pokémon or something?" said the girl.

Nate replied, "Um… yeah. But don't you hear it talking to me too?" What he did not know was that the telepathic link that Pollux had created to communicate with Nate was shared only between them and nobody else; to the unaware Korrina, the Sylveon would appear completely silent, leaving the boy to talk to a Pokémon who could not answer.

"…" The girl in the rollerblades fell silent, and once again, Nate felt terribly ridiculous about the entire notion of talking to a Sylveon, as though it were an everyday thing to do.

"I totally get you!" she suddenly enthused. "I mean, it's obviously your bond between you and your Pokémon, am I right? That's so cool! It's just like Lucario and me! We're, like, on the same wavelength, if you know what I mean."

Korrina's Lucario, the blue, bipedal Pokémon which she had sent into battle, acknowledged its trainer with but a single nod of the head.

"_Close enough,"_ Pollux remarked, before looking over to Nate. _"Now, let's show her!" _The Sylveon made the first move, charging towards Lucario, which simply stayed in place as it awaited directions from its trainer.

As the girl saw Nate's Pokémon attacking, she pointed, giving her command to her Lucario. "Start with a Power-Up Punch!" she called out, and in response, the Pokémon reared its fist back, waiting for its target to come closer. Once Pollux was within attacking distance, Lucario unleashed, slamming the Sylveon with a well-aimed punch, and its fist immediately began to glow with power once the hit had connected giving Korrina's Pokémon increased strength. The force of the Power-Up Punch was only enough to knock Pollux aside; it did not look like any significant damage had occurred. Regardless, Nate gasped out of concern.

"_The first thing you should know about Fairy-types: They aren't afraid of Fighting moves."  
_Nate mentally took note of the advice, and Pollux remained confident despite failing to successfully attack head-on. _"Now, you remember what move I used to save you from that Noivern before?"_

"Moonblast?"

The Sylveon nodded. _"That's the one."_

"Right." Nate didn't hesitate to continue the fight. "Now, use Moonblast!"

Pollux's long, flowing ribbons began to shine, and they were brought together to create a silvery, ethereal ball of swirling energy, which was quickly launched in Lucario's direction. Korrina's Pokémon chose not to move, instead opting to defend against the incoming projectile.

"…Lucario!" Korrina called out, as the impact of the Moonblast knocked her Pokémon back a fair distance. "Like, we are so gonna have to use our secret weapon now!"

Nate wasn't quite sure what happened next. What he saw was that Korrina had activated something on the glove she was wearing, which somehow caused her Lucario to transform, or… evolve? But that didn't make sense to him at all; even the most experienced trainers that Nate had met had been unable to evolve their Lucario. Nonetheless, there he stood in this unfamiliar region, battling against what definitely looked like an evolution of the Aura Pokémon.

"What is that?" Nate asked. The Pokémon's new form somewhat resembled its previous incarnation, except it was taller now, with thicker fur and black streaks lining its limbs.

Pollux commented, _"It's emitting much more power than before…"_ In spite of this acknowledgement, the Sylveon stood its ground, unfazed by its opponent's strength.

"Okay, Mega Lucario! Let's totally show them the mega-amazing power of Mega Evolution!" Korrina was radiating confidence in directing her Pokémon. "Bullet Punch 'em!"

The evolved Pokémon dashed forth without delay, and before Pollux could take any action, it delivered a series of rapid jabs upon its helpless opponent. Nate couldn't bear to see Pollux being beaten down so furiously.

"…Stop! Stop the battle!" Nate's plea was met with respect, as Korrina called off the attack, and in a flash, Lucario reverted to its original form. The boy ran over to check on the Sylveon, who appeared very battered, but without serious injury.

"_The second thing you should know about Fairy-types: They don't like Steel moves. Poison too." _Its telepathic voice continued to sound neutrally optimistic despite its condition.

Korrina gave Nate an apologetic expression. "Gee, sorry, Nate. But hey, I'll always be here in Shalour City! Just keep, like, training and stuff, y'know?"

"Of course." While the Unova boy did retain some curiosity towards the concept of Mega Evolution, and after experiencing it firsthand in a one-sided battle he could not deny its magnitude of power, there were still other matters he had to attend to. "But, I'm really here looking for someone. Have you seen a man in a sailor hat come by here?"

As Nate feared, Korrina shook her head.

"_He must have gone to another town already,"_ Pollux guessed, and Nate took that as his cue to head for their next destination. Waving their farewells to Korrina and the tower guard (who had watched their entire battle with a permanently stony face) Nate and Pollux made their way to Shalour Town's Pokémon Center in preparation for their journey.

%%%

Once Pollux's vitality had been restored to full, Nate was just about ready to leave town… if not for one minor dilemma: he hadn't eaten anything at all since he had left Unova.

The only place that seemed to sell any food was a curious push-cart, owned by a stocky-looking man sporting a thick mustache.

"**Khlav Kalash! Get your Khlav Kalash!"** Drawn to the cart by his deep, accented voice, Nate hurried over to sample the vendor's foodstuffs, with Pollux in tow. A strong, unusual aroma wafted from inside the cart, which tickled at Nate's nose.

"One bowl, please!" Nate couldn't wait to eat whatever the man was selling.

"No bowl, stick! Stick!" The vendor handed the boy a stick… something seemed to be attached to one end. Nate took the stick, and surveyed the meat – it was meat, wasn't it? – that he was being served.

Up close, the food's scent proved more strong and uninviting than expected, and Nate's appetite started to ebb, but there was no time to be picky. With a firm grasp on the stick, Nate sunk his teeth into the saucy mess.

Nate hated Khlav Kalash.

He held back tears as he willed himself to swallow the tiny chunk he had bitten off. Eating the rest of it as quickly as he could to get it over with, Nate had eventually managed to stomach the entire stick's worth of mystery meat, and his belly was already fighting to send the whole thing back.

The Khlav Kalash vendor held out his palm to receive payment, and as much as his food had repulsed Nate, it was only polite to pay for his meal.

But when he reached into his pockets, he found that he had lost all of his money; not so much as a single Poké-dollar had remained to his name. Understandably, the vendor was not at all pleased about it, but he offered Nate an alternative form of payment.

"…You're going to cut it off?!" Nate exclaimed in shock.

The mustached man illustrated his point by slamming his cleaver upon a chopping board, embedding the blade deep into the wood. "I cut off body part. I make into Khlav Kalash. Then I sell Khlav Kalash!"

Pollux tapped Nate with his ribbon. _"That actually sounds like a good plan."_

But Nate vehemently refused; he simply could not part with any of his parts. Instead, he provided his own suggestion. "How about… I work for you instead?" Taking a minute to stroke his mustache in deep consideration, the vendor eventually agreed.

"Okay, it is deal! You sell Khlav Kalash. Customers pay for Khlav Kalash. You get money from customers. I get money from you!" Leaving Nate to man the food cart with Pollux, the vendor left the area, to gather ingredients for his next batch of Khlav Kalash.

"You think anyone's going to buy this stuff?" Nate asked the Sylveon.

Pollux peered into the cart, examining its contents, and then replied, _"I'd pay good money __**not**__ to eat this stuff."_

The boy in the visor groaned. He was wasting time that could be better spent locating the ship's captain.

%%%

Before too long, Nate had received his first customer. Nate thought it most curious that the man approaching them had tall dark hair with jewels embedded within it, but he suppressed his laughter upon seeing the man's serious face.

"Yo, lay a stick on me, homeboy," he said, handing Nate some money bills. Eager to oblige, Nate took a stick and dipped it into the tub of Khlav Kalash; the meat clung to the stick with a tight bond as he swirled it thoroughly. The jewel-haired man surprised Nate with a respectable tip in addition to his payment, and he smiled as he received his stick. "Most funkalicious, brother."

"Wow, a tip…" Nate was in awe. Nobody in Unova had thought to give tips to hard workers… which worked in the boy's favor as he was usually the client rather than the provider. He was now more eager than ever to receive another customer.

The next person seeking the exotic cuisine was a well-groomed blond man, dressed in pristinely white and frilly clothing. With an air of dignity he walked towards the cart, looking upon Nate and Pollux.

"Khlav Kalash… What the hell is this crap?" Though his accent was refined, his vocabulary was less so.

Nate could only stare blankly. To be fair, he didn't exactly know what it was either.

"Answer me when I address you! Do you not know who I am? I'm Siebold, and I'm a badass mofo Elite Four chef, bitch!" The man in white retained a composed demeanor even as he intimidated the boy with his boastful introduction. "Now are you gonna give me my food or what?"

Nate loaded another stick with the Khlav Kalash, which he gave to Siebold. The Elite Four member of Kalos studied his stick of meat carefully, with a hint of disdain.

"The creation of food is supposed to be a work of art," he mused, "but this… this isn't art at all! In fact, its very appearance is hella disgusting!"

He then took a bite from the stick, and took time to savor the unique flavor.

"And yet… this crap is so damn good! It defies the very rules of art! Why the hell does something so ass-ugly taste so damn good? It remains a mystery…"

Cleanly stripping the stick of every last particle of meat, Siebold paid Nate for the much-enjoyed Khlav Kalash, sizable tip included. The boy accepted the money with an ear-to-ear grin; he had no idea why people enjoyed this foreign delicacy, but he saw no reason to complain as long as he could cover his expenses.

At least a quarter of an hour had passed by the time Nate saw someone else approach the food cart. From a distance, the man's appearance seemed to prove oddly familiar to the boy.

"Is that… Colress?" Nate wondered out loud. Of course, Pollux had no idea who Nate was referring to, and simply imitated a shrugging motion, using ribbons in place of arms.

The last time Nate and Colress had crossed paths, the enigmatic doctor had told the boy that Team Plasma would cause trouble in Unova no more, and that he was free to pursue his personal research within the confines of the Plasma Frigate, the airship that the villainous team had used to spread their chilling chaos throughout the region. Truthfully Nate hadn't given much thought towards Colress after that, but he was relieved that the scientist had attempted to make amends.

As it turned out though, the man only resembled Colress in his choice of attire, and even his lab coat was a dark, overcast-sky gray in comparison to the other's clinical white. His hair also lacked Colress's almost-ridiculous signature blue loop that surrounded his head, and what remained was soot-black, not pale-blond.

"Hello, sir," he greeted. "Would you perchance know the way to Geosenge Town?" Nate shook his head, slightly disappointed that this not-Colress did not seem very interested in purchasing some Khlav Kalash.

The black-haired man adjusted his glasses carefully. "I see. But if you were to guess, would you suggest I make my way through the cave nearby?"

Nate looked down to meet Pollux's gaze, but the Pokémon was of no help. Turning back to face the man, he answered with uncertainty. "Um… I think so?"

In response, he nodded. "Very well, then. I am sorry to have taken your time." With those words, the black-haired man departed, and after that, no customers had stopped by before the vendor returned, distended sack of unknown contents in hand.

"Where is money?" he asked, and Nate presented the mustached man with the money he had received, tips included, from all two customers that had bought from him. With a gleeful face, he counted the bills. "Good. I have reward for you!"

Nate was then presented with what looked like a smaller version of a white shoe box. When he opened the lid to see what was inside… he was considerably less than elated.

"Six free sticks of Khlav Kalash! Six!" the vendor announced.

Again, Nate groaned. "Don't I get any money?" he asked.

"No money," replied the vendor. "Only Khlav Kalash."


	4. Not So Grand-Kid!

**Is this story a serious arc story with a serious plot, or is it all episodic wacky shenanigans?**

* * *

"So if I ended up on Route 12, and we're here now…" Nate studied the image carefully, trying to mentally record the information.

According to the poster-sized Kalos Town Map displayed in the Pokémon Center, there were two possible routes he could take from Shalour City: heading east would lead him back to where the boat had crashed; the very same place where he had encountered Pollux, the mysterious Sylveon. The other route would be a southwest trek through what was called "Reflection Cave." From there, it was only a short walk to the humble settlement of-

"_Geosenge Town? Isn't that where that other man wanted to go?" _Pollux had spotted the way Nate's finger was tracing the map.

"I think so," Nate replied. That was correct, and Nate's conscience was relieved to know that he had not accidentally misled the black-haired man in the lab coat from before. Though their initial interaction had been brief, he could not help but wonder about that mysterious stranger's intentions. Perhaps if he followed and headed for Geosenge Town as well, he would learn more; that of course was also the only possible way that the ship captain could have gone, allowing him to potentially fulfill both of his intended objectives.

"_Then let's go! Quickly, to Reflection Cave!"_ Pollux's ribbons swayed from left to right as it jumped in excitement.

Nate was caught a little off-guard by his Pokémon companion's enthusiasm. "Y-yeah…"

Upon leaving the Pokémon Center again, they were almost immediately bowled over by a small-scale stampede of people and Pokémon, and had to jump clear out of the way until the coast was clear. Nate wanted to ignore that bizarre and unexpected happening, but as it turned out the charging brigade that he saw was actually comprised of construction workers who were informed of a landslide in the area.

"Looks like the entrance has been completely cut off by these boulders." One of the hard hat-wearing men was kind enough to inform Nate of the situation, and the boy's worst fears were confirmed.

"How did that happen?" Nate asked in a panic. "Is… is anyone hurt?!"

The man in the helmet shrugged. "We're doing everything we can, kid. I reckon it'll be quite a while before it's all sorted out."

Nate's gaze turned to the man's fellow workers and Pokémon, who seemed to be idling about, smoking cigarettes, and generally doing things that did not resolve the boulder situation in any way. The boy then looked back at the man in front of him, to whom he gave a suspicious expression.

"Yup," repeated the worker. "Quite a while indeed."

Nate could not accept that, and he decided to take action, running to the boulders and trying to lift them out of the way. As expected of a young boy though, his exertion proved ultimately futile.

One of the other workers pulled Nate back after he slumped to his knees in exhaustion. "Look, kid, if you wanna get to the town on the other side so badly, why don't you just go round the other way? Sure, you gotta pass through about four other places, but hey, that town's not going anywhere, right?"

"I suppose…" Nate pouted.

%%%

Nate took the worker's suggestion, and headed back for Route 12; not so much because he saw it as the more viable option, but moreso that he wanted to leave Shalour City as soon as he could. To Nate's surprise, the ship he had arrived on continued to remain in its lonely position of being jammed into the shoreline. Luckily, the area seemed devoid of wild rampacious Noiverns this time around. Once again, Nate grabbed some Poké Balls from the ship's cargo, and he would have also been able to make off with some of the ship's food rations, had they not been scavenged by unknown (most likely Pokémon) assailants. As a result, he still remained somewhat hungry – the lingering taste of exotic food in his mouth did help to suppress his appetite.

Now that he had the Poké Balls, it was finally time for him to capture Pollux in earnest. With one of the capsules in hand, he gave the Sylveon fair warning before he threw the ball.

The Poke Ball sailed through the air in a small arc. "Okay, into the ball you… go?"

For some reason, Pollux was unaffected by the Poké Ball, which had bounced off as if Nate had thrown a ball of scrap paper at the Fairy-type Pokémon. Again, and a third time, the boy attempted capture, to no avail.

"_Is something upsetting you, Nate?"_ Pollux was smiling; the barrage of Poké Balls was apparently more amusing than painful for the Pokémon.

"I thought we made a pact," Nate answered, picking up the ball. "Why can't I capture you?"

The Sylveon's ribbon feelers billowed like they were being tossed aloft by a strong wind. _"That's exactly why I had to make a pact with you. You see, even for a Sylveon, I am different to most other Pokémon."_

"I noticed," Nate muttered under his breath.

"_If you must know, the truth is that I actually have a master already."_

"Who is he?"

"_I can't tell you that until the time is right. What I can say was that I was instructed to make a pact with a suitable Trainer."_

Pollux's enigmatic words only served to further Nate's initial suspicions… but they also raised some compelling questions. When would the time be right? Why was Pollux's master looking for a suitable Trainer? And what made Nate "suitable"? Did they know he had saved the Unova region from Team Plasma? Compared to the incident involving that young trainer from Nuvema Town who had defeated the very same team two years before that, Team Plasma's presence had been more clandestine and had received less public attention… it didn't make Nate feel much of a regional hero.

On the bright side, he at least had a reliably powerful Pokémon accompanying him in this unfamiliar region. So long as they steered clear of Poison and Steel-types, Pollux's Fairy-type abilities combined with Nate's skills as a well-experienced Pokémon Trainer would surely keep them safe… Nate hoped. He only wished that he could keep the Sylveon in a Poké Ball, should he need a break from the Pokémon's telepathic chatter.

Continuing along Route 12, Nate spotted a gate leading to what appeared to be a Pokémon ranch, which seemed to remind the boy of Floccesy Ranch from back in Unova; it hadn't even been a day away from there and Nate was already feeling a little homesick. The ranch he saw before him was not quite as large, and not as many plant crops seemed to be growing there, but the boy was drawn to it nonetheless, by the Pokémon that inhabited the area.

With curiosity piqued, Nate crouched down to meet one of the quadrupeds at eye level. The Pokémon's white-furred face seemed friendly, and he could conclude from the leafy pelt surrounding its neck and sitting atop its back that it was a Grass-type Pokémon, and here had to have been at least a dozen of them roosting about in this ranch alone.

"Maah…" the Pokémon in front of Nate bleated cutely, and even gave the boy an affectionate lick on the hand when he held it out.

"_Skiddo is usually very friendly towards humans,"_ Pollux explained. _"Some people can even take rides on them!"_

The thought of riding a Pokémon around like a bicycle tempted Nate; he looked left and right, and saw nobody else around. Tentatively, he positioned himself beside the Skiddo, and raised one leg over, mounting the Pokémon's back. When he lowered to rest his full weight down, the Skiddo immediately gave a loud bleat of excitement and galloped wildly.

"Wh-whoa!" Nate instinctively took hold of its long, firm horns, tightly gripping them like handlebars to prevent himself from falling off. Skiddo didn't seem to mind; it was already content to run freely about the ranch's fields, giving the boy more than his fair share of scares by jumping seemingly insurmountable ledges, and charging towards the unfenced precipices leading to the sea, only to turn around to safety at the last second. Its frolicking had continued for several minutes, and by now Nate had his fill of excitement – and then some.

"…How do you stop this thing?!" Nate shouted.

Pollux tried to help by shooting his Moonblast attacks at the Grass Pokémon to slow it down, but the blasts of light didn't travel fast enough and missed, and there was no way of predicting where Skiddo would go next. Nate was grateful for that at least; as much as he wanted to get off safely, he was fairly certain that getting hit by a ball of light energy would not end well for him.

"Cotton Spore, ol' Jumpluff!"

Nate couldn't see who had just said that, but not long after, he could feel that the Skiddo had come to a quick stop, and upon dismounting, he could see why: the leafy Pokémon was now half buried in a thick bed of white fluff, unable to move its legs at all.

"Yeh've gotta be careful around them Skiddo, yeh know." That voice from before belonged to an old man in green, sporting suspenders and a worn-looking handkerchief around his neck. He was accompanied by a blue Pokémon that floated in the air, with balls of cotton for hands, which Nate recognized as Jumpluff, a Pokémon he had seen about no less than once or twice in Unova.

"Th-thank you." Nate was still a little dizzy from the ordeal.

Pulling out a large pair of shears which he wielded like scissors, the old man trimmed off the Cotton Spore that had held the Skiddo in place. Once it had trotted off to rejoin the rest of its kind within the ranch, the Jumpluff scooped up the remaining fluff and stuffed it into the tuft of cotton on its head.

"'Tweren't nothing," he replied to Nate. "Always happy to save the day for me dear little grandson."

"Grandson?!" Nate blurted out. He hadn't seen this man before as far as he could remember.

"That's right, m'boy! It's me, Grandpappy Ramos, don't yeh recognize me?" He gave the boy an affectionate pat on his head.

When Pollux approached to inspect Ramos, he was quickly picked up by the old man. "Well, well, if it isn't yer pet, Mr. Wiggles! Seems he's evolved, too!" The Sylveon tried to escape Ramos's grip, flailing ribbons every which way, but his age was of no hindrance to his ability to grasp a struggling Pokémon.

"Why don't yeh drop by me house, sprout?" Ramos ruffled at Nate's unkempt brown hair. "Last yeh told me, yeh've been wantin' to travel and see other regions. Yeh can tell me all about it over some tea and cookies."

Nate was admittedly quite touched by his kindness, but the boy had places to be, and there was little chance, if any, that he was actually Ramos's long-lost grandson. "Sorry, but I'm not-"

"Not hungry? Well, ain't that swell. But it'll be dark soon, so yeh best be comin' along with me."

Ramos didn't let go of Pollux, no matter how much the Sylveon had tried to break free, giving Nate no choice but to follow the old man to Coumarine City, a humble place bearing an impressive port where a few boats were docked. They all continued to walk through town, entering the train station, boarding the train to the other side of the city, until they came to a small cottage not too far from the city's Pokémon Center.

%%%

"Now, just make yerself at home, and I'll get the kettle boiling." Ramos finally put Pollux down on the floor and turned one chair to face the TV in the room, waiting for Nate to sit. Once Ramos was out of the room, Pollux quickly jumped into Nate's lap, using ribbons to press the boy's soft cheeks together.

"_I don't know what this old man is up to, but I don't think I like him much."_

"Alright, alright. We'll get outta here… as soon as this show is over," Nate answered, his eyes fixed on the TV screen; apparently, some of the cartoons he saw in Unova were also broadcasted in Kalos.

As soon as the end credits played, the Sylveon skipped over to the front door, pawing desperately at the surface. Nate then stood to his feet, and his fingers took hold of the doorknob. Opening the door, he was only a few steps out into the evening sky before a sharp voice called out from inside the house.

"**WHAT'RE YEH DOIN', WHIPPERSNAP? I TOLD YEH, IT'S DANGEROUS TO BE OUT AT THIS HOUR!"**

Ramos's Jumpluff, who had been keeping watch outside, launched a flurry of cotton balls which clung onto Nate and Pollux, trapping them in place and restricting their movement.

"Sorry I had to do that, but I can't have me grandson running 'bout when it's dark." Ramos dragged the cottony captives back inside, and locked the door before using his shears to snip them free of the binding fluff.

As lonesome as the man seemed, Nate knew he had to tell him the truth. "I'm not your grandson. I'm Nate!" he asserted, brushing some residual cotton out of his hair.

"You're late?" Ramos cupped one hand to his ear. "Late fer what?"

"No, my name is Nate!"

Ramos scratched at his balding head. "Your neighbor's neat? Well, that may be nice to hear, but we can visit him in the morning if yeh want. It's time fer bed."

He gently ushered the boy into a bedroom, which was decorated – or more accurately, overflowing – with Pokémon plush toys. Nate wasn't much of a plush enthusiast, but he was actually just a little jealous of this grandson's collection.

Watching a riveting documentary in the TV room, Ramos held Pollux in his lap as he sat, stroking the reluctant Sylveon's soft fur.

"Believe yeh me, somethin's just not quite the same with that boy," he mused to himself. "He used to be blond, last I could remember…"


	5. Make Your Escape!

**Poor Ramos, all he wants to do is take care of his grandson... but Nate isn't his grandson. What's a guy to do?**

* * *

It was getting late, but Nate wasn't tired at all, his mind clouded with worried thoughts. No matter how badly he yearned to see other regions in the world, he was a Unova boy at heart and there was really no other place he could call home.

But as long as the elderly Ramos held the belief that they were related as grandparent and grandchild, there was little chance the boy could evade the watchful, well-meaning but misguided eye of the old man and his cotton-slinging Jumpluff. From a simple observation of this child's room, Nate was truly and definitely certain that this room had not once been his own at any point in time… Surely he would have remembered owning at least three different plushies of Tepig, his all-time favorite Pokémon? At least Ramos's actual grandson had good taste in stuffed toys, he thought while combing through the plush collection, seeing likenesses of Pokémon both familiar and unfamiliar to him.

The hours crawled on and Nate continued to sit at the single desk in the room, looking into the blank screen of the long-unused laptop that sat there. Tapping his fingers upon the desk's wooden surface, his eyes then traveled to the Xtransceiver around his wrist. About two hours remained to midnight, he saw on the display– at least, if he were still in Unova; he hadn't thought to adjust the time accordingly to match Kalos's time zone. Nate knew his friend Hugh well enough to surmise that he would already be asleep by now, and that interrupting his rest by giving him an unexpected call would certainly put the blue-haired boy in a grouchy mood.

It was hard not to surrender to that temptation.

Before Nate could touch the button to start the call, the telepathic voice of Pollux entered his mind's ears. _"Finally, the old man went to sleep. We should get out of here, quickly."_

Nate crept out of the bedroom, jostling a number of the sea of plush toys along the way. In the almost-foreboding darkness of the house at night, the Sylveon gave off a faint glow that illuminated a small area around the small Pokémon.

"What about Jumpluff?" Nate hissed in a whisper. "If it gets us, we won't be able to escape."

Pollux chuckled silently. _"One Moonblast should easily take care of that annoying ball of fluff."_

"Why didn't you do that last time then?" Nate asked.

"_I wasn't prepared to strike back."_ Pollux used its ribbons to imitate a shrug. _"That thing is very fast."_

Carefully, they tiptoed to the front door, and the visor-wearing boy's small fingers curled around the bulbous knob to turn it.

"…Nooo!" The doorknob didn't give way; Nate had completely forgotten that Ramos had locked the door in response to their previous attempt at escape.

Pollux's head tilted a little. _"Oh, I must have forgotten about that. He used a key to lock the door."_

Nate was understandably not too astounded by the Sylveon's powers of deduction. "I figured as much." After a second of silence, they both slowly made their way to Ramos's bedroom, careful to make as little noise as possible.

"Zzzz… mmh… ain't no ordinary badge… zzz…"

The door to the bedroom wasn't completely closed, so Nate could pull the door back a tiny amount to create a thin strip of space to peek through, but without any light he still could not see a thing in the room, and all he could hear was Ramos mumbling in his sleep. He had no choice but to open the door completely, beckoning Pollux to enter with him; the Sylveon's natural glow provided just a little light for the boy to see, but it was enough for him to locate the key to the front door, on the nightstand next to Ramos's bed.

Ever so gradually, Nate began to sneak towards the nightstand, step by excruciatingly delicate step. It took some time, but the key was finally within reach, and Nate's arm stretched out to take it. The second he grabbed the small piece of brass, he was so surprised that he had pulled it off that he promptly dropped it by accident, hitting the carpeted floor with a minute, muffled thud.

"…Zzz-wuh, what was that?" Hearing the old man's voice, Nate's heart sank like a heavy stone, and he turned his head to face the bed.

"Zzz… just the mailman… zzz…" Nate breathed a light sigh of relief; Ramos was just rambling in his sleep. Not willing to take any more chances, the boy picked up the key with both hands and made his way out of the bedroom, closing the door halfway as he and Pollux headed for the front door. Nate wrestled a bit with the key in trying to disengage the lock, but it took only a few moments before the door was unlocked and open.

Under the light of the cloud-shrouded moon, they were able to identify the form of Ramos's Jumpluff in the distance, bobbing about in mid-air while it stood guard.

"Okay, I'll go first, and you attack while he's distracted," Nate said, explaining his plan. After Pollux nodded in confirmation, Nate pushed from the ground with his legs, springing forward to run with speed. At the doorway, the Sylveon charged and then fired a Moonblast at the round shape looking in Nate's direction. The ball of energy created a small burst of glittery light when it made contact, and the target fell straight down, completely lifeless.

Nate had turned his head back when he heard the attack connect, and the sight of a completely unmoving Jumpluff give him quite the shock. He was only trying to temporarily hold off the Pokémon; he hadn't meant for any mortal danger to come to it.

_"Oh no,"_ Pollux said. _"I guess I must have overdid it."_

The boy and the Sylveon both approached the fallen Jumpluff, but only when they came close did they see that they had not hit Jumpluff at all, but a similarly-shaped decoy of the Pokémon, made entirely of cotton. In the confusion, neither of them could see the real Jumpluff floating towards them from behind, ready to unleash a cloud of Sleep Powder upon the runaway duo.

The sudden onset of drowsiness came as a complete surprise to them, and it wasn't long before they both fell into sleep.

%%%

The next morning, Nate woke up in the plush-filled bedroom. In addition to being practically buried in Pokémon plush dolls, he was also tightly swathed in a thick layer of Jumpluff cotton, restricting his movement.

"Tsk, tsk, tsk… I warned yeh, boy. I warned yeh 'bout going outside after dark, didn't I? But yeh didn't listen to me."

Nate could turn his head enough to see Ramos having entered the bedroom, holding his favorite shears as always while he reprimanded the boy.

"Now, do yeh promise to behave yerself this time, sprout?" he asked.

Nate played along and replied, "Yes, I promise." He felt a little bad about lying though; Ramos was still a meek and kindly old man despite his obstinate ignorance of the true situation.

"That's what I like to hear." Ramos gently moved every plush toy that separated him from Nate, creating a path of free, non-plush filled, space. He then raised his shears again and tore the binding fluff asunder, until the boy was completely free.

He then caught a pink and white object that was tossed his way. "There's Mr. Wiggles, I didn't forget 'bout him… Just kidding!"

Nate was a bit perturbed to notice how lifeless the ribbon-clad Pokémon was, until he realized it wasn't actually Pollux, but a plush facsimile of the Sylveon. So the Fairy-type was a Pokémon after all, he thought… how many other Pokémon could be found only in Kalos? It seemed to him like more and more different kinds keep getting discovered as time goes by.

Ramos left the room for a brief spell, to return with the real Pollux in his grasp, a grasp which the Sylveon had still not figured out how to escape from.

"_Nate… we need to leave this place at once. I'm getting tired of being handled like this."_

The man opened his arms once he was close enough to Nate, and Pollux immediately jumped to the boy's side, knocking the fake Sylveon to the floor and giving Ramos a reproachful glance which nobody had seemed to notice. Ramos's ever-present grin seemed to widen at seeing the two together again. "Say, now that we're all here, how 'bout we go to Lumiose City fer some tall frosty milkshakes?"

Lumiose City… Nate had recalled that location from the map in Shalour City, if only because it was represented as the largest city in the region, reminding the boy of Castelia City back in Unova… The sheer enormity of the city had bewildered him the first time he had been there.

On the other hand, Nate was not one to refuse an offer of cold sweet beverages. While waiting for Ramos to get ready, the boy and the Sylveon stood outside the front door, where Jumpluff continued to keep a watchful eye. Pollux gave the cotton Pokémon a spiteful hiss while waving ribbon feelers in a menacing manner, but the Jumpluff remained smug, clearly remembering how it had outsmarted them both.

From behind the house, Ramos came around to the front door, and he appeared to be riding a Pokémon which looked like a larger version of the Skiddo from the ranch, with much longer horns and a thicker mane of leaves. The Grass-type Pokémon crouched down, waiting for Nate to mount.

"Now don't be afraid none," Ramos re-assured. "This Gogoat of mine isn't like them Skiddos yeh saw before. This ol' steed can stop on a dime."

Nate had no idea what a dime was, but he got on the Gogoat's back all the same, taking hold of the horns from behind Ramos. Pollux joined as well, sitting upon Nate's shoulders, securing itself into place by wrapping its long ribbon feelers around Nate's waist.

"Now… Go, Gogoat!"

At Ramos's command, the goat Pokémon took off, galloping at a devastating speed. However, it wasn't like riding the Skiddo at the ranch; with Ramos at the helm, the Gogoat seemed more controlled in its pace, and more decisive in its traveling path.

Soon, they left Coumarine City, and entered an area where a furious sandstorm ravaged the landscape. Both Ramos and Gogoat seemed quite unfazed by the sand and wind, but Nate's hold on the Pokémon's horns tightened to avoid being blown off. From the earthy ground, subterranean Pokémon like Trapinch and Dugtrio emerged from below, disturbed by the Gogoat's heavy trampling. Before they could retaliate, the quadruped Pokémon simply jumped over them without changing direction. Nate could only take so much of the Gogoat's strong leaps before he began to feel a little dizzy.

Ramos cackled in excitement as his steed kept jumping. "There's nothin' quite like a Gogoat ride, eh, sprout?" Nate kept his mouth shut; he wasn't quite sure what would come out of it if he replied.

Just when it felt like things were becoming too much to bear, Ramos, Nate, Pollux and Gogoat had finally made it to the gates of Lumiose City. All of a sudden the sand and blustery winds were no more, and Nate soon found himself surrounded by passersby and tall buildings as far as his eyes could see.

"Hrmmrm," Ramos murmured, observing the citygoers from atop his steed while he stroked at his beard. "The city's looking mighty crowded today. Best yeh stick close to me, boy. Don't wanna get lost now, do yeh?" Telepathically, Pollux gave off a sly chuckle that only Nate could hear. No words needed to be said, since they both had the same idea in mind.

The two of them waited as Ramos's Gogoat trotted on, eventually coming to a stop next to the entrance of what was most likely the milkshake parlor that the old man had promised. On his own, Ramos entered the store to make his purchase while Nate and Pollux were left in charge of keeping an eye on Gogoat.

"_Okay, follow my lead." _When Ramos had gotten further into the line of waiting customers, the boy and the Sylveon made their move, and dashed out of the scene as quickly as they could. Thankfully, nobody present was paying much attention to their venture, and continued to go about their individual business as Nate and Pollux ran off.

Nate was about as physically fit as one would expect of an experienced, Running Shoes-sporting trainer that had traveled across their home region, but even he had trouble keeping up with Pollux's mad dash across the city's avenue. The Sylveon shot past like a pink and white comet with its ribbons flapping about, gradually creating more and more space between Pokémon and boy.

"Pollux, slow down!" he called out through puffed breaths. Nate still hadn't eaten anything since he had left Shalour City, and with an empty stomach, his well of stamina was running drier by the second. It didn't take long before he was fit to collapse; he stopped in place and slumped against a building wall, taking deep breaths as he wiped at the sweat running down his face.

He wondered if it would have been better to wait for Ramos to come back with milkshakes before abandoning him… He would have at least had some more energy to burn if he did.

%%%

Pollux soon came to a stop after having run around Lumiose City for quite a while. The Sylveon had gotten more than a little carried away; Ramos was nowhere to be seen, but the same was true for Nate. Pollux didn't worry though, remembering that it was all a matter of going backwards, retracing steps… not to mention the pact they had made. As long as it was in effect, finding Nate would be a cinch.

"_Qu'est-ce que c'est?_ A Sylveon?" Pollux turned around to hear a stranger from behind who had looked down to notice the stray Pokémon.

"But there are no wild Sylveon in Kalos, unless… ah, but of course! You must have been separated from your Trainer! Come, let us look for your partner!" With that, the stranger had grabbed Pollux from behind, using the very same hold that Ramos did, which the Fairy Pokémon could not figure out how to escape, no matter what.

Pollux squirmed in a vain attempt to break free of the man's arms. "Hmm, what could the matter be? Would you perhaps like a delicious Poké Puff?" After putting Pollux down, the stranger produced something from the pocket of his coat that looked like a little pink cupcake, complete with pale, rosy frosting. Initially reluctant to eat, Pollux gave in and ate the Poké Puff bite by bite, surprisingly enjoying the sweet delicate flavor to the point of squealing gleefully. Satisfied with the treat, Pollux headed off in Nate's direction to track the boy down, and didn't mind that the man in the coat was following close behind.

"Ah, so you will lead me to your Trainer… _Tres bien,_ Sylveon!"


	6. Welcome, Sycamore!

**It's time for a lighthearted filler chapter, right?**

* * *

"So hungry…"

Nate was almost completely expended of energy. Now that he had stopped running so much, his breathing eased up and he was no longer sweating profusely, as though he were being cooked alive. However he was still famished beyond belief, and without any money, he was beginning to entertain the possibility of eating his shoes for sustenance – he hadn't forgotten about the Khlav Kalash that he had received from the vendor in Shalour City; it was just that between the two options, he decided shoes would have tasted better.

With so many people passing by, minding their own business and acting mostly indifferent towards the boy's dilemma, Nate knew that trying to find Pollux in the huge Lumiose City would be a task most arduous, and conserving his energy was important, but he had to try; it wasn't like the Sylveon would just come to him by some contrived miracle.

"_There you are, Nate! It's a good thing I found you before that old man did!" _

Before he knew it, Nate was pushed aside by a light tackle that almost made him fall on his backside. "Pollux?" The boy was equal parts relieved and surprised by the Fairy Pokémon's sudden re-appearance. "How… did you find me?"

Pollux nodded, its face beaming with pride. _"It was all thanks to our pact! No matter what happens, I'll always know where you are. Isn't that useful?" _

Nate scratched at his visor-wrapped head. "I guess…" He wanted to wonder how such abilities could be used, or perhaps misused, but for the time being he was happy to see a friendly face.

"Ah, so you must be the Sylveon's trainer," said an unfamiliar man who had closely watched the reunion take place.

Nate looked up at the stranger; his prominent features were the dark hair on his head, wavy and disheveled, and the large white coat he wore with rolled-up sleeves. "Um, yeah," the boy answered. "I couldn't catch up to Pollux while we were running… I've had nothing to eat all day."

The dark-haired man's jaw dropped in shock. "Nothing to eat? Oh, _non_, _non_, that is no good! A young Pokémon Trainer such as yourself needs to keep their strength up, no?" The man stroked at his stubbly chin as an idea came to mind, "Why don't you come with me for some lunch then? It's a good thing your Sylveon led me to you."

Nate turned, silently waiting for Pollux's opinion. _"Don't worry, I'm pretty sure you can trust him."_ The Sylveon's smile widened with elation. _"The delicious Poké Puff he fed me… I'm feeling all warm and fuzzy just thinking about it. If only I could eat it all over again…"_

Pollux's praise towards the man and the food he carried was almost enough to make Nate's mouth water. Surely there was no harm to be found in this stranger's cordial invitation? The boy gave it some consideration, before finally accepting. "That'd be great, thank you."

The man held his hand out to offer Nate a handshake, to which the boy obliged. "But of course. It is the least I can do for a Trainer in need, is it not?"

The man took Nate by one arm, holding firmly but not too forcefully, to assist the boy in following him, and Pollux's ribbon feelers were wrapped around Nate's other arm as well to provide added aid. Together, the three of them soon reached a building that looked to be about two or three floors high from the outside, its gates decorated with an eye-catching pair of Poké Ball-shaped pillars. The man and the Sylveon led Nate across the ground floor room to an elevator, which promptly ascended to take them to the topmost floor. When the elevator's doors opened again, they were greeted by two children, a blond boy and a purple-haired girl that were both wearing flawlessly white outfits.

"Welcome back, Professor!" they said in unison. Nate was caught off-guard; the man hadn't said anything about being a professor… in fact he hadn't said much about himself at all.

"_Merci, merci,_" the professor replied. Gesturing his arm to Nate, he continued. "Sina, Dexio, this is a Trainer I met in the city. He hasn't had anything to eat, so I'll need you two to keep an eye on him while I get us all some lunch."

"Sounds good," said Dexio.

"He's kinda cute though, heh…" added Sina, just a few notches above a whisper so that only Dexio could hear her. Returning to the elevator, the professor left the building, and that was when Sina gave Nate the customary Kalosian greeting: a quick pecking kiss on each cheek.

"Wuhhh…" Nate was left very much perplexed by what had just happened; it was well-known that people in Unova were not so liberal with their kisses. Sina, and even Pollux, giggled a little at Nate's dumbfounded expression. Dexio, however, maintained a straight neutral face.

Sina slapped her hand upon her friend's shoulder. "Well, Dexio? It's your turn, so give him the Kalos greeting!" she encouraged.

"You're kidding!" Dexio replied curtly.

The girl started her goading. "What's the matter, you afraid of kissing a boy? Stop being such a prude."

Dexio folded his arms in a display of defiance. "Why don't **you** stop being such a bully?"

But Sina remained unfazed by the boy's obstinance. "Okay, okay, have it your way. If you won't kiss him, I'll just have to kiss him again, and this time it won't be on the cheek, if you catch my drift…"

"Ugh, fiiiine." Immediately, Dexio took action, unable to cope with that ultimatum. Just when Nate had come back to his senses, the blond boy laid his hands under Nate's ears to hold his head in place as he did the deed; a quick kiss on the left cheek, and a half-hearted one on the right. "Happy now?"

Sina waved her hand to fan her face. "Oh my, that was pretty sexy, Dexy."

"Don't call me that!" Dexio retaliated with a weak slap upon his friend's forearm.

"Whatever you say, Dexers."

"Stop it."

Sina and Dexio's banter continued for quite a while, and once Nate had eventually gotten over being smooched by two complete strangers that were around his age, he began to pay close attention to the playful teasing that the boy and girl shared, and it filled him with an odd mixture of emotions.

"_They seem to quarrel a lot, don't they?"_ Pollux said, observing the scene alongside Nate.

"Yeah," Nate replied. "But it's nothing serious. It's just something friends do." He followed it up with a wistful sigh.

When the professor finally came back with heaving plastic bags in hand, Sina and Dexio had immediately fallen quiet, silenced like a candle's flame being blown out. The three children's senses were instinctively drawn to the warmth and scent emanating from the bags.

"And now, we eat," the professor announced. _"Bon appétit!"_

The curry dish that Nate had taken was fragrant with spices and bold in flavor, and the only thing stopping the boy from furiously devouring the meal like a wild pack of Carvanhas was the fact that he was in the company of people who ate their lunch in a dignified manner, which included chewing each bite thoroughly and consistently (Pollux notwithstanding, but being a Pokémon allowed for that exception.)  
Though he had to follow suit and eat more slowly than usual, he was beyond grateful for the delicious food all the same.

"Thank you so much," said Nate, once everyone had finished eating.

"It was my pleasure." The professor then cleared the table before sitting down again. "Hmm? I do believe I have not introduced myself to you. My name is Sycamore… Professor Augustine Sycamore. Sina and Dexio here are my assistants."

"I'm Nate, and this is Pollux," the visor-wearing boy responded, pointing to himself, and then to the Sylveon.

"Nate?" Sycamore enunciated the name in his slight accent, slowly and deliberately. "Correct me if I am wrong, Nate, but… would you happen to be from the Unova region?"

Nate couldn't believe his ears at first. "D-did you say 'Unova'?"

"_Oui_, 'Unova.' You… no… vah."

"Yeah, I am!" Nate replied vehemently. Sina and Dexio glanced at each other, now understanding why Nate had reacted as such to their greeting. "…But, how did you know?'

"Aurea Juniper…" said the professor.

"Professor Juniper?" Nate asked, tilting his head.

Sycamore smiled, reminiscing. "Indeed, Professor Aurea Juniper, she is a very lovely and beautiful woman, honhonhon… ahem, pardon me. But the professor, she has told me about the trainers of Unova. She says you, Nate, are a trainer most special, for you had put a stop to Team Plasma, after they had made a comeback from two years in hiding… that is all true, _non_?"

Nate nodded with a tiny bit of uncertainty. "Yeah… kind of."

"_Tres magnifique!"_ Sycamore clapped his hands. "Please, you must tell me all about your very first journey!"

The boy was all too happy to oblige; it was the least he could do after the professor had been so hospitable. Thinking back to that very first day in Aspertia Town when he had received his first Pokémon, Nate began to recollect his memories as he told the story of his life-changing journey in the Unova region.

He told Sycamore, Sina, Dexio and Pollux about the very first Pokémon battle he had with his longtime friend Hugh, about Cheren and Bianca, who had been so very helpful in getting the boy started in his adventure, about seeing a Team Plasma grunt hiding deep within Floccesy Ranch, and seeing them again in Castelia Sewers, ("Oh yeah, I just remembered. it was so dark there, Hugh couldn't see a thing. He couldn't see me sneaking up on him from behind, ha ha ha…") and about Colress, the enigmatic man of science.

They were all engrossed in every word of Nate's story, when he talked about Hugh punching a Plasma grunt at Driftveil City in a fit of unmitigated rage, about the Plasma Frigate and how he had seen the legendary Kyurem there, being used to power the airship, about the Giant Chasm, meeting N the once-king of Team Plasma and the climatic showdown with Ghetsis, about Roxie, Burgh, Skyla, Marlon, and all the other Gym Leaders and his battles with them, about Victory Road and the Elite Four, and finally his battle with Iris, the Unova Pokémon League Champion.

"Incredible!" Sycamore applauded. "Very nice!"

"Wowee… You sure went through a lot, didn't you? I wish I could have been there." Sina remarked.

"Wait, wait… So Hugh really punched the guy? Seriously?" Dexio questioned.

Nate had never told anyone before the story of his journey from start to finish like that, and it had all sounded so unbelievable in hindsight, so much like some fictional tale, but it was all completely reality.

"So, Nate," Sycamore proceeded to ask, "what brings you to Kalos?"

Nate shrugged dismissively, "Well… I didn't really plan for this to happen. Remember the PWT I talked about?" He waited for his audience to nod. "Clay runs the whole thing, and he wanted me to go to other regions, to promote it."

"This is another region, is it not?" Sycamore asked. "Did you not want to promote here?"

"The ship captain – Roxie's dad from before – he was the one sailing. He didn't tell me where we were going. But that didn't matter, because the boat was being hijacked."

Gasping ensued.

"The boat crashed here in Kalos, but I made it in one piece. That's when I found Pollux, but the captain was nowhere to be found… so now, I'm looking for him."

"Ahh, that makes sense." Sycamore nodded. "But I think you could still promote your PWT while you are here, _non_? I can tell the Gym Leaders of Kalos all about it!"

"Oh… okay." Nate went along with the suggestion.

The silence that came afterwards was rather awkward, but Sina managed to break the tension. "So you're from Unova?" she asked Nate. "What kind of Pokémon did you bring here from there?"

The boy then remembered what had happened when he had first set foot in Kalos; amidst the confrontation with the rogue Noivern, his initial team of Vanillite, Litwick and Dunsparce had tried to stand up to the fearsome Dragon-type Pokémon, but ended up fleeing in terror… Nate was regretful about that. If he had been told about the arrangements beforehand, he would have brought a more formidable team.

"Well…" he answered. "I wasn't prepared, and I ended up fending for myself with no Pokémon. Luckily Pollux came in the nick of time to help me out." He gave the Sylveon a friendly pat on the head, which it apparently did not mind. "Pollux helped me catch the Pokémon that was trying to attack me."

"Who was it?" asked Dexio.

Nate reached into his pockets, holding the Poké Ball he had used on that Pokémon. "Its name is… Noivern, I think? It's colored black and has huge ears."

Professor Sycamore's interest was piqued. "Noivern? According to my research, it is quite a rare Pokémon. May I have a closer look, if you don't mind?"

With caution, the brown-haired boy handed the capsule over to Sycamore's hand, and the professor promptly released Noivern from its ball.

"**Screeeeh!**" The winged Dragon Pokémon uttered a shrill screech that threatened to deafen everyone in the room, before grabbing Sycamore with its sharp talons, and flying out of the building, crashing through a window to take to the skies.

"_Sacre bleu!_" Sycamore's interjection echoed in the distance.

"Professor!" Sina called out. She turned to Dexio and Nate. "We need to help him! He can't fly!"

"I knew this would happen," Dexio said to himself.

Sina gave her partner a shocked look. "Dexio, this is serious! Are you gonna panic with me, or are you just gonna pretend everything is okay?"

"I never said everything is okay."

"Then panic with me!"

"Panicking won't solve anything."

"Alright then, let's hear your ideas… I'm waiting."

Pollux shook its head in disappointment. _"All this bickering is making my head ache. Come on, Nate, let's take care of this ourselves."_

As much as Nate wanted to hear how Sina and Dexio's heated argument would play out, the professor was in serious danger, and there was no time to waste. "Right."

Together, the boy and the Sylveon took the elevator down.


	7. Prism Tower Trouble!

**Oh boy, more craziness... I hope this isn't becoming too much to bear.**

**Part of this chapter turned out a bit too similar to what happened in one of the XY anime episodes... I swear that wasn't intentional.**

* * *

"Dexio, what was their number again?"

"Do I look like a phone book to you?!"

"You're about as clever as one, actually."

"Hey, what's that supposed to mean?"

Sina and Dexio could have potentially saved Professor Sycamore in a timely manner, had they chosen to invest their effort in trying to come up with a plan instead of continuing their incessant row, a verbal struggle that was highly difficult to stop whenever it started.

"Look, let's not argue right now. The professor's in trouble, so we can't waste time!" Sina reminded her friend of the current situation, and he curbed his hostility.

"Yeah, okay, I got the Holo Caster." Dexio tossed a small device towards the girl, which she caught. "I dialed the number, so just wait."

The boy and the girl stood by until a neon-blue glowing hologram was projected from the device, displaying the standard Holo Caster logo, a non-descript human figure with a smiling face.

"_Hey,thanks for calling,"_ a man's voice came from the speaker. _"Unfortunately for you, I've got some business to deal with, and I'm already out doing something about it. Ain't that a bitch?"_

"Just a recording," Dexio groaned as the hologram vanished. "Now what are we gonna do?"

Sina pondered. "Hmm… I've got it!" She went into a closet in one corner of the room, rummaging through the various contents within.

%%%

"Noivern!" Nate called out, his eyes tracking the dragon Pokémon high in the air as he gave chase. It was hard to determine from so far away, but it looked like Sycamore was still in its clutches, relatively unharmed.

Pollux tried to help too, by charging and firing Moonblast shots while running by Nate's side. However, unlike the last time the two Pokémon had clashed, Noivern had the advantage of altitude this time around, and swiftly zipped away from the barrage, cutting through the air with its broad wings.  
"Be careful!" Nate told the Sylveon. "You might hit the professor!" Pollux ceased to use Moonblast after the boy had given his warning.

As the pursuit continued, Nate soon found himself standing before an exceptionally tall tower, easily taller than any other building he had seen in Lumiose City by far. The huge building appeared white as marble, and bore a thin, pointed shape, like a Samurott's horn piercing the sky. The boy was very much in awe from seeing it, just as he had been from seeing the tower in Shalour City before.

"Impressive, isn't it? They call it the Prism Tower."

That voice… It couldn't have been. Yet when Nate turned to see who was speaking to him, he saw, among a small crowd, the very same black-haired man in the lab coat from last time, the man headed for Geosenge Town.

Before Nate could ask any questions, a booming screech from above had caught their attention; with Professor Sycamore in tow, Noivern circled Prism Tower, steadily ascending before reaching its pointed peak, the highest point of the tower. There, the flying Pokémon laid the professor down on a small ledge, before landing nearby to roost.

"**Heeeey, Professor!" **Nate called out from below in an attempt to alert the professor. From the way Sycamore was waving one arm as he clung to the building for safety, it looked like he had heard the boy. The full extent of the message was lost from so far away though; the professor tried to call back, but all Nate could hear from ground level was a vague shouting noise.

"It's no good," Nate said to Pollux and the other man. "We need to get him down!"

Pollux jumped in place. _"But how would you do that? You'd need to be able to fly to get up there… and even then, you'd have that Noivern to deal with."_

Nate was at a loss; he didn't have any of his old Pokémon at his disposal, and in this region there were no familiar faces around to lend him a hand. Looking around in search of ideas, he noticed the large doorway at Prism Tower's base. Taking the long way up seemed inconveniently time-consuming, but as it stood there were no other options. Quickly, he ran to the doors, but as it turned out…

"Prism Tower is currently closed for major renovations," Nate read the paper taped to the door. "We apologize for the inconvenience…" The boy shook his head in despair. "What am I going to do now?" Out of sympathy, Pollux gave him a ribbon pat on the back.

Nate remained overcome with hopelessness for what seemed like at least ten minutes, when he suddenly heard a series of tumultuous stomps, sounding like large pistons hammering into the ground. Instinctively the boy swiveled, and jumped back in surprise after seeing the hulking, cobalt-blue behemoth that had come out of nowhere; the Pokémon that he and many others knew as Metagross. Pollux intercepted, standing between Nate and Metagross; even while defending the boy, the Fairy-type Pokémon trembled with uncertainty, remembering its weakness to Steel attacks. Metagross did not attack though, simply staring back stoically with its dimly glowing, deep red eyes. The glasses-wearing man had mounted the big metallic Pokémon, they saw, standing upon the flattish surface of its head.

"Quickly, get on Metagross!" he instructed. "We don't have any time to waste!"

Nate was quick to comply; asking questions could wait until the professor was safe. Once he and Pollux were seated atop the Pokémon (with little, but just enough room to spare), it gave a loud grunt of acknowledgement, and tucked all four of its limbs closer to its body. Then, Metagross began to rise off the ground. It sat just a few inches in the air, which eventually became three feet, and then five feet, and then twenty… Before they knew it, Metagross had used its Magnet Rise to levitate to half of Prism Tower's full height. Still sitting cross-legged on its head, Nate focused his sights on Noivern and Sycamore, trying not to look down and become afraid of heights. Like many Pokémon Trainers, Nate knew what it was like to ride a flying Pokémon as a quick means of transportation, but this was a completely different experience, more similar to using an elevator with no roof or walls. In contrast, the black-haired man remained unfazed as he stood at full height on Metagross, his graying lab coat billowing in the wind like a hero's cape.

%%%

They continued to ascend, until at last they were close to the top of the tower. Sycamore was in reach, huddled closely to the center of the ledge.

"Nate?" the professor exclaimed. "But, how did you get up here?"

Nate didn't have a chance to explain – not that he knew entirely, himself.

"**Screeeh!" **Noivern's shrieking alerted them to its presence.

"Metagross, use Protect."

The blue metal Pokémon responded to its Trainer, forming a translucent barrier that surrounded itself and everyone who was on top. Metagross's barricade proved sturdy; Noivern had collided into it head-on, and was knocked back, stunned by the impact and falling down until it clung to a corner of the tower, regrouping after its failed attack.

Carefully, Metagross floated closer towards Sycamore, allowing Nate and Pollux access to the ledge. They exchanged places with the professor, but didn't get back on the floating Pokémon afterwards.

"_Por quoi?_" questioned Sycamore. "What are you going to do up here?"

Nate adjusted his visor as his hair was swept askew by the wind. "Someone's gotta get Noivern to calm down!"

Sycamore nodded, seated carefully on Metagross's head. "Ah, but of course! I wish you luck!" He threw Noivern's Poké Ball to Nate, before the big blue Pokémon descended as it carried its passengers. Now alone with Pollux, Nate waited for Noivern to return. Surely enough, the dragon Pokémon did appear once more to see that Sycamore was gone, and it roared in disapproval of having its quarry taken away.

"_There he is,"_ Pollux said. _"What's the plan?"_

Nate paused to think. "…I don't have a plan." The Sylveon covered its face with its ribbon feelers.

Noivern took its chance to attack; it swooped towards Nate and Pollux, but the boy had seen it coming and jumped, landing on its back. Before it could get too far, Pollux lashed at the dragon Pokémon's tail with a ribbon, but the Sylveon was dragged off the ledge and left to dangle in mid-air. Being unused to flying with so much extra weight, the Noivern attempted to flap its wings harder to stay aloft, but to no avail; they were falling at a slow but uncomfortable pace.

Pollux's ribbon feeler coiled tightly against Noivern's long, black tail. _"This is madness, Nate! We just made a pact, and I can't have you dying on me now!"_

Clumsily straddling the flying Pokémon, Nate replied, "It's… it's okay! I know why Noivern is so angry now!"

"_How did you figure it out?"_

"The back of its neck… something's stuck to it!" Noivern was flailing about as the ground came closer swinging its tail about and tossing Pollux about in all directions. The Sylveon maintained its hold, but started to look increasingly distressed; being tethered and tossed about was not a fun experience.

"…" Nate dug into the shaggy tufts of white fur around Noivern's neck. With a little effort, the boy managed to remove the foreign object, which turned out to be an annoyingly prickly Sticky Barb. Now that it had attached itself to Nate's fingers, he could certainly see for himself why the Noivern had acted so ornery. It wouldn't detach itself after Nate shook his fingers furiously, so he ended up sticking the pointy thing on his bag.

With the offending object removed, Noivern had at last stopped fidgeting, and calmly came down to the ground, affording a safe landing for itself and the boy… Pollux was unharmed too, but did not have such a comfortable landing to speak of.

"Scree-screek!~" The dragon Pokémon showed its gratitude by giving Nate a slobbery lick on the cheek, catching the boy off-guard.

Once Pollux's disoriented feet had found the ground, the Sylveon observed Noivern's newly-discovered benevolent disposition. _"How strange… I've never seen a Noivern that acted so childlike. It's almost, dare I say, adorable."_

After sufficient petting and coddling, Noivern was returned to its ball, and through the cluster of people who had come to observe the spectacle, Professor Sycamore had come to see that Nate and his Sylveon had made it back in one piece.

"Ah, so you have quelled the unruly Noivern, Nate?" he asked. Nate nodded in response, holding up the dragon Pokémon's ball as proof.

"_Tres bien, tres bien!_" Sycamore clapped. "I must admit, that was all very exciting to see!"

Nate chuckled sheepishly. "Exciting, huh… Oh, where's the guy with the Metagross? I couldn't have rescued you without his help!"

The professor shrugged with a puzzled look. "It was very odd! After we got down to the ground, the man in the gray coat, he just ran off into an alley with his Metagross! I tried to chase after him, but the Metagross used Rock Slide to block the alley off!"

Nate scratched his head in confusion. Even after the black-haired man had been so helpful, he remained elusive, shrouded in mystery… Nate still didn't even know his name. Would the boy ever see him again? Only time would tell.

With nothing else to say, Nate turned to Pollux, seeking the Fairy-type Pokémon's opinion. _"Hey, don't ask me, I'm only a Sylveon."_

Now that the commotion was over, the various onlookers quickly lost interest and returned to their usual business… save for one man sporting thick black shades and dressed in a flamboyantly mauve-colored suit, who proceeded to merrily skip towards the boy in the visor.

"Dahhling, dahhling, that performance you put on back there! It was just amazing… beyond amazing even! It totally blew me away!" Clasping both hands around one of Nate's, he shook vigorously and enthusiastically. Sycamore and Pollux didn't know what to think, and continued to look on.

"Please, dahhling, tell me your name? I simply must know."

Nervously, the boy replied, "Uh… it's Nate."

"Oohhh, good, gracious heavens, such a wonderful name! It's almost too much to bear! Just imagine, 'Nate' could be the next big thing! You'll be a star, baby!"

"A star?" Nate was getting more confused by the second.

"Oh, where are my manners?" From the chest pocket of his suit, the flamboyant man produced a business card to give to Nate, while reading its text aloud.

"Mr. V. Deeoh, Lumiose City's number one motion picture producer!" The name sounded vaguely familiar to Nate… he wondered if this Mr. V. Deeoh had any famous relatives. After the boy put the card away, Mr. Deeoh continued, "Nate, dahling, up there on the tower? I saw the whole thing! So fearless, so talented, so… Nate-ly! Tell me, Nate, baby, have you ever been on TV before?"

While Nate had pursued a minor interest in shooting movies at Pokéstar Studios back in Unova, he had never been on TV before. Either way, he found early on that performing was fun, but it was not something he wanted to do in the long run. "Not really, but-"

"Ohh, how dreadfully disappointing! You simply must come with me to the Video Studio, dahling!"

Nate really wanted to decline; he had already had enough excitement for today. "I… I can't. I have someone I'm looking for."

In an instant, Mr. Deeoh's jolly expression had deflated. "Ohhhh… Dahling, you're just tearing me apart, you know! Please, please, please, if you ever feel like changing your mind, come see me, mm'kay? Just look for the studio in the South Boulevard, it's not hard to find, trust me."

Once the mauve-suited man had left, Professor Sycamore gave Nate a pat on the shoulder. "Come, we should head back to the lab. Sina and Dexio must be very worried about us."

%%%

When Nate, Sycamore and Pollux had reached the lab gates, they ran into a pair of masked strangers, one wearing a red mask and scarf, the other clad in the same, only colored blue. When they saw Nate approaching, the two of them struck flashy poses.

"Stop right there!" announced the boy in the blue mask.

"We've come to save the day!" declared the girl in the red mask.

In unison they stated, "We're the masked heroes of Kalos, and we…" Their voices died down once they saw Professor Sycamore. "We… we gotta go." The masked duo then made a hasty escape to Sycamore's lab.

"Who were those guys?" Nate asked out loud.


End file.
